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Lottie sighed. That toilet wouldn’t unblock itself.

Chapter Three

HANNAH

Hannah woke to mechanical jolting sounds and gentle rocking. For a moment she was confused – where was she? Then she opened her eyes and remembered the train journey. The book she’d been trying to read had fallen onto the floor in the night. She had slept without interruption. This was a rarity.

She shuffled across her bed to open the blind and survey the scene before her. It was only eight am and the sun wasn’t yet up, but the grey sky was beginning to reveal the landscape. The train was moving gently through a dark and hilly landscape, punctuated with clouds. She’d never visited the Highlands before. She was hundreds of miles from London, but at this moment, it felt like thousands.

Hannah crowbarred herself into the tiny en-suite shower she’d paid extra for. Worth every penny, to her mind: she found she always functioned better after a shower. It wasn’t as comfortable as her bathroom at home, but she was grateful to be refreshed. By the time she was out, she could see a few fingers of yellow beginning to creep through the dark clouds. She quickly dressed and made her way to the club car where she had a table booked for breakfast.

Hannah sat on a stool at a table, and looked out as the hills and lochs began to light up in the first rays of the rising sun. It really was a magical sight. The cooked breakfast made her smile. Normally, she’d have eaten something much lighter, but the full Scottish breakfast, complete with tattie scones and haggis, was hard to resist. It arrived alongside a mug of steaming coffee and a glass of orange juice, looking for all the world like a heart attack on a plate.

She’d not eaten haggis before, so her first bite of the sheep’s offal, oatmeal and onion mixture was a tentative one. She was surprised by how tasty it was. Alongside fried tomato, mushrooms and bacon, it was a savoury and gently spiced treat. Hannah tucked in, the sky brightening and the hills revealed in their rich green glory. The tattie scone, which seemed to be made of potato, flour and butter, felt like an indulgent treat. Flat and slightly chewy, it complemented the rest of the plate well.

White and clear water flowed down the crevices of the slopes, and sheep sped past her window. Now and again, a gap would form between the hills, giving way to rolling land and lochs. By nine, the sun was fully up, and thickets of conifer trees appeared and disappeared behind low, grey clouds. She drank her coffee slowly, taking in the dramatic landscape.

Hannah was grateful she’d booked a taxi to pick her up from the station. She arrived into Fort William at ten, greeted by an icy wind and a small, quiet building.

“McLennon Castle, please,” she said as she climbed into the car that awaited her.

“Ooh, lovely, dear. A wonderful place to go.” The driver, a white man in his sixties, twinkled at her in a way that indicated he would want to talk. Hannah’s heart sank. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, least of all a taxi driver she’d never see again.

“Hope so,” she said, popping her earbuds in as a silent message for the conversation to end there.

“I’ve lived here all my life,” he continued, oblivious to Hannah’s preference for impersonal silence. “Anne-Marie is a local hero, keeping that castle going year in, year out. I don’t know how she does it.”

Hannah gave what she hoped was a polite smile, and adjusted her left earbud in the hope he would notice.

“And you’re there at the best time of year, too. It’s beautiful at Christmas. The old man always finds the largest tree possible, and it just makes the whole place so festive.” So he hadn’t noticed. “Are you staying for Christmas?”

Hannah took out an earbud. “No, just three nights.”

“Got family to head back down to, no doubt,” he said, and Hannah decided not to tell him that he was wrong, that there was no warm family gathering awaiting her return. Just an empty flat. He continued to talk throughout the whole journey, and Hannah quietly ignored him.

“Here,” he said, as the castle finally came into view. “Somewhere for you to have a break from everything.”

Hannah looked across at him in surprise. Was he another person who recognised her? She hoped not.

The nineteenth-century castle was truly an impressive sight. The grey and yellow stone gave the structure lightness, while the turrets and crenelated edges brought the drama. Hannah pulled her small suitcase along the drive and found herself smiling. She had wanted to get away from it all, and this was, without question, away.

She checked her watch. It was still early in the day, and she wasn’t sure her room would be ready. But that didn’t matter. She felt a childish excitement bubble up inside her. She wanted to explore this place.

She walked in through the solid oak front door, which was decorated with a huge green wreath interlaced with tartan ribbon. Inside the door was a large umbrella stand piled high, and she spotted some mistletoe hanging from the apex of the roof. She scoffed. She wouldn’t be using that any time soon.

The main entrance gave way to a huge lounge area complete with a giant fireplace and a stunning Christmas tree. She’d never been a particularly festive person, but even she could see that this was an exceptional specimen. Yes. This had been an excellent choice of destination.

She walked over to a solid, dark wood reception desk. There was no one at it, but there was an old-fashioned bell. She looked left and right and couldn’t see anyone, so she pressed it. The ding seemed to echo forever, long enough for her to regret setting it off. She heard running footsteps, and from a corridor a harried woman with blonde hair appeared, clutching a plunger in rubber-gloved hands.

“So sorry.” The woman’s voice was breathless, and she didn’t have a Scottish accent. “Hannah Smythe, right?” She dropped the plunger and pulled off her gloves, before donning reading glasses and looking at the computer screen.

“Er, yes,” said Hannah. Her credit cards were still in her former name. Her married name. She’d have to change that.

The woman looked up and stopped. “Hannah Castle?”

Hannah felt her stomach sink. Could she not go anywhere without being recognised?

She sighed. “That’s me. I’ve got a room booked for the next few nights.”